The foremost mission of the Doctoral School of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts is to create the possibility for exchange across individual candidates’
artistic and research activities. With this aim in view, the school has organised programmes to encourage collaboration and team research.
The extracurricular programme New Interfac-es, Interactive Technologies was launched in 2011 in line with this endeavour, with support from the New Széchenyi Plan. Within the framework of the TÁMOP (Social Renewal Operational Programme) 4.2.2-B funding scheme, we organised educational programs and workshops, with the participation of invited Hun-garian and international experts, to present the histori-cal and theoretihistori-cal background to the technologihistori-cal devices that are used in the visual arts, as well as to provide an opportunity to learn how to use cutting-edge technologies through practical workshops.
The computerised sculpture programme lead by Ágnes Előd boasts perhaps of the most spectacular results. This programme involved building up a com-puter lab, which was a unique achievement in itself.
Equipped with 12 terminals and the Leonar3Do inter-face, a platform developed in Hungary, this lab is suit-able for both experimentation and creative work. Any work made there may be directly integrated into the work of an artist attending the course, and the knowl-edge acquired in the lab may also inspire independent artistic projects.
The scheme also provided an opportunity for the candidates to create artworks that demanded experi-mental technological developments. In his interactive multimedia works, Róbert Langh has researched the application modes of touch-screen interfaces (pp.
68-69). In addition to creating his own artworks, he has collaborated with numerous students, providing feedback on the results of our programmes at both doctoral and graduate levels. A number of works by Imre Lepsényi were realised through the support of the TÁMOP project. Niasono, his interactive sound
in-stallation presented on pages 70-71, is an audiovisual environment based on purely digital computer devic-es, yet it renders the artificial acoustics based on al-gorithms experienceable intuitively, as a real musical instrument. Erik Mátrai’s installation, entitled Porticus, visualises the virtual in the physical space of the gal-lery by means of light effects (pp. 72-73). Róbert Nagy and Gergely Horváth’s installation utilises the virtual reality of computer games and makes it traversable in the exhibition space (pp. 74-75). Laura Somogyi’s in-teractive installation, entitled Sew As (pp. 84-85) was made and presented in several versions during the past two years (Common Unknown, 2012, pp. 14-17, and Csepel-Chelsea Project, 2012–2013, pp. 24-28). In their research programme, Réka Harsányi and Andrea Sztojánovits have surveyed the possibilities of utilis-ing biosensors in visual arts installations (pp. 122-123).
A selection of the artworks created as the result of the research programme was presented at an exhibition realised in the framework of the Data Is Beautiful event series in October 2012 (pp. 22-23).
ANDREA SZTOJÁNOVITS:
BRAIN “CRYSTAL” MAPPING / CYBERFIELD installation, dimensions variable, 2012–2013
RÉKA HARSÁNYI:
ALPHA
Interactive video installation, 2012
Brain “Crystal” Mapping is an experimental installation based on the principle of duality (stereoscopic, binaural). With the help of brain-wave examinations, it maps the complex processes of seeing and hearing – processes that are in mutual interaction, as well as affecting the viewer. As a research project, the function-ing installation seeks to answer the followfunction-ing three questions: How does viewfunction-ing a stereoscopic image affects brain function or is it modified by the joint visual effects arising from the architectural duplicity of the stereo image? How is the projected, active image made to transform by the effect of binaural sounds in-fluencing brain function? What is the effect of the common presence of a stereo image and binaural sounds on the functioning of the brain?
The central element of the installation is a video, controlled by means of a brain sensor. I divided the data coming from the sensor into six groups, from a relaxed state to the state of focused attention, assigned to six video loops. The intensity of brain waves within the given group of frequencies alters the intensity of the fading-in video loops, thus the image will become more discernible where brain activity is stronger. As the viewer who is operating the system is only able to relax with eyes closed (and then the alpha and beta waves will increase and the gamma wave will decrease), s/he cannot see the result that s/he generated. Only those viewers who are standing in front of the monitor are able to actively watch the image, because as soon as the visitor who has generated the change begins to watch the monitor, his/her brain waves return to the gamma level of activity.
DR. ÉVA GALAMBOS – DR. ANNA VIHART:
BASELINE RESTORATION ANALYSES OF INORGA-NIC PIGMENTS OF PAINT LAYERS WITH POLARI-ZED LIGHT MICROSCOPY AND PUBLICIZING A PIGMENT DATABASE IN HUNGARY
The objective of studies and analyses carried out by a conservator-restorer is, among others, to explore the layers of paint. One of the main constitu-ents of a layer of paint is the pigment making up its colour. The microscopic analysis of inorganic pig-ments is not only an independent analytical method, but also a baseline examination that may be impor-tant to carry out prior to any other instrumental anal-yses, to be able to decide what type of more expen-sive analysis would be necessary and appropriate.
During the two-year period of basic research, we drew up the Hungarian protocol for the polariza-tion-microscopy-analysis technique, and developed the pigment database required for the practical ap-plication of this technology, as it was not available in Hungarian. The database comprises the most sig-nificant data of inorganic pigments: the pigments’
name, precise composition, characteristics, optical properties, methods needed for their identification, as well as photographs of the analysed pigments, with the majority of samples taken from actual Hun-garian artworks.
A significant function of pigment analysis is that it connects the cultural fields of usage with the scientific fields of material testing. The results of the analyses carried out in line with the protocol can be utilised by conservators, art historians, archaeolo-gists and scientists, among others. With a view to ensuring its extensive usage, the full content of the database will be made freely accessible to profes-sionals, as well as utilised as a teaching aid in uni-versity education. Our aim, pointing beyond the completion of the project, is to further develop the database in the future by allowing researchers to up-load the results of their own analyses to the online database. http://www.pigmentum.hu
Edited by
Ágnes Előd, Balázs Kicsiny, Miklós Peternák, Zoltán Szegedy-Maszák and Réka Szűcs
Translated by Andrea Szekeres
Proofread by Dr. Reuben Fowkes
Design by Imre Lepsényi
Published by
Hungarian University of Fine Arts, 2013 Rector: Frigyes Kőnig
© MKE Doctoral School and the authors Printed in 500 copies
Printed by
Elektroproduct Nyomdaipari Kft.
ISBN:
978-963-7165-51-1
This publication was made possible with support from the Social Renewal Operational Programme, TÁMOP-4.2.2/B-10.
Doctoral School Data:
Doctoral School of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts Feszty-ház, Kmety Gy. u. 27, Budapest, H-1063
Postal Address: Andrássy út 69-71, Budapest, H-1063 dla@mke.hu
Phone: +36 1 354 16 43 http://dla.mke.hu/
The project is supported by the European Union and co-financed by the European Social Fund.
National Development Agency www.ujszechenyiterv.gov.hu 06 40 638 638
DOCTORAL SCHOOL